CHECKING TRAFFIC CONGESTION ASSOCIATED WITH CHRISTMAS IN NNEWI

CHECKING TRAFFIC CONGESTION ASSOCIATED WITH CHRISTMAS IN NNEWI

From Nwafor-Orizu, Nnewi Roundabout to Ibeto Junction; from St. Mary’s Junction to Nnewi-Owerri Road, the chaotic traffic congestion of these and other major Nnewi roads during the Christmas and New Year celebrations are always unbearable for road users.

The bustle fun and many events associated with Christmas and New Year celebrations in Nnewi, for some years now, have become a nightmare for drivers, whether commercial or private.

Within the later weeks of December and earlier weeks of January, many people come into the town to attend burial and wedding ceremonies. The influx of people and vehicles into the town cause a huge traffic jam on major roads.

As have been observed in previous years, a journey that should ordinarily take 30mins, sometimes, stretches to over two or three hours.

The situation worsened by the impatient attitudes of motorists, who are always in a hurry to get to their destinations, create problems in trying to manoeuvre their ways, thereby, causing confusion and slowing down movement of vehicles.

This excruciating traffic logjam during this festive season is caused by issues associated with bad roads, indiscipline among motorists, poor road designs, high vehicular movement, the absence of efficient traffic distribution, use of unhealthy vehicles, the absence of functional digital traffic control lights among many other teething issues.

Despite the above factors which have remained unresolved, there is a need for a concerted effort by the government and other stakeholders to make sure that commuters in Nnewi have a free flow of traffic ahead of 2018 Christmas and 2019 New Year celebrations.

In providing solutions, there is the need for professional traffic officers to be deployed to control the traffic on major junctions in the town such as Ibeto Junction, St. Mary’s Road, Ekenedirichukwu Junction, Nnewi-Owerri Road, Nwafor-Orizu Roundabout, Amuko Junction, Traffic Light Junction and other major roads in the town.

The attitude of abandoning duty and chasing after perceived offenders and violators of traffic signs should be discouraged among the officials, because, their absence at the designated areas do cause chaotic situations.

These traffic officials are expected to be at their designated posts always as their availability will enhance the orderly flow of traffic and reduce traffic hold-ups.

The police and the Federal Road Safety Corps should not do their works of checking vehicle particulars in ways that could cause problems on the road this season.

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Commuters must be civil and disciplined in making use of the road. They must learn to respect other road users to curb traffic congestion and hold-up on the roads.

Potholes in major roads in the town should be fixed to help for easier flow of traffic.

Nnewi residents and visitors will surely have traffic free season if these measures are applied.